Radio interview of Yves Messer

Interview of artist Yves Messer conducted on June 15, 2013 at "Positively Autistic: The Poetic Vision with Erik and Sandy" 

"Expectations": my portrait of Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge

"... as the Duchess of Cambridge’s first official portrait was unveiled to the public yesterday, art critics were, unusually, largely united in their condemnation.

‘Ghastly ... rotten ... an out and out disaster,’ was the view of the editor of the British Art Journal, Robin Simon. 

‘It’s only saving grace is that it’s not by Rolf Harris,’ was the best that David Lee, now editor of The Jackdaw and a former editor of Art Review, could manage.

" 

From Daily Mail 

 © Paul Emsley (2013)

This is my response to Paul Emsley (a 2007 winner of the National Portrait Gallery BP Portrait Award for portrait painting) who took three months and a half to do "this." It took me one week to do mine YET always have been refused to even be part of this National portrait gallery so-called "competition" !  

For the record: I am a Republican in the tradition of a Thomas Paine, I am not a monarchist. I therefore consider monarchy as an institution belonging to the past and should remain there. Although I disagree politically with the institution, I respect persons such as Kate Middleton.

Note: 
Few have shown some disappointment, because my portrait "doesn't look like a photograph" and that she is not "glamorous" enough, not "smiling" as she uses to, etc. (Then why a painting? What about Kate Moss by Lucian Freud?)
In my paintings I always focus on the personality of the subject and try to avoid the distraction of pomp and 'perfection' attached to an officially commissioned portrait.
My portrait's title is 'Expectations' as there are so many, and at different levels, from those of a future mother and beyond.
I therefore find painting her "branded smile" to be inappropriate, from my perspective.
Hence the title, because many "expect" so much from a portrait!
I dared painting her as a real person.
If it is a crime, I apologize.

Note:
Kate Middleton and Prince William left St Mary's Hospital on July 23 with the royal baby boy in tow. Watching live, I was amazed by how much Kate Middleton looks like the portrait I did in mid-May. I called it "Expectations" adding a sunny background since I painted with that day in mind. Yes the day the baby was born was sunny and once she appeared outside of the hospital with him, she looked so much like my painting, especially her hair (for which some harshly criticized me). I was right, my  critics were wrong. PS: I am not a psychic.

Indifference

This post has moved at my new blog "Artivism, or Art with a Conscience".